Lost
by GreenPokeGuy
Summary: Three months after All Stars, Duncan is released from prison. He has nowhere to stay, however, after he is told he can't come home. Just when he feels lost, someone finds him. Can Duncan find himself? Or will he be lost forever? Pairings inside. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama. One can dream though...**

* * *

**Lost**

Duncan exits the prison gates, a guard closing them behind him. Duncan breathes in the fresh air. After three months, he has been released from his jail sentence and is free to go. His sentence normally would have been longer, but after good behaviour and hearing the reason for his sentence, he was deemed not to need such a long sentence, especially since the judge believed dealing with Chris McLean was enough of a punishment.

Duncan's time in jail was rough at first, being picked on by the larger and tougher prisoners, but after they heard his reason for being there, they quickly accepted him as one of them. This was because Chris himself was held in the same jail, and he was hated by everyone, even the guards, so they believed that anyone that had to deal with Chris regularly deserves some slack.

Duncan turns back to face the jail, reliving his many memories of the place. After having one look of his home for the past three months, he turns away and heads to the taxi that was called to take him away from the jail. He tells the driver the address of his parents' house and the taxi starts on its way. _Here's hoping that they actually let me stay…_

The reason Duncan has this fear is because not only is his father a police officer and was not pleased that he was sent to jail, but also because Chris told him that he would make sure Duncan had a difficult time after being released, due to his shorter sentence. With these thoughts bouncing around in his head, Duncan was extremely anxious about going home.

* * *

The taxi stops outside his parents' house, and Duncan hops out, thanking the driver, who then drives away. Duncan takes a moment to inspect his street, since it had been a long time since he had been here. _Looks like nothing's changed. Same old crummy neighbourhood._

Turning to his house, Duncan takes a deep breath before picking up his duffel bag and walking to the front door. After a moment of hesitation, Duncan knocks on the door.

After a couple of seconds, the door opens, revealing his mother. Her eyes widen and, to Duncan's surprise, she grabs him in a hug, which he slowly returns. He didn't expect such a warm reception after being locked up in jail.

"Duncan! It's been two years! I've missed you so much!" his mother exclaims, and Duncan is alarmed when he feels his shirt getting wet.

"I missed you too, Ma." Duncan replies sincerely. Having his mother embrace him was one of his best experiences of the past two years, after the torture he was put through on Total Drama and his time in jail. When she lets go, she is revealed to have her mascara running because of her tears. "Don't cry, Ma. I'm back now, and I don't plan on going away any time soon." At these words, his mother's smile slightly dropped, causing some unease in Duncan.

"Well, come in, dear. You should sit down after your journey." his mother ushers him in, closing the door behind them. As they enter the house, Duncan can't help but look around the room. It was exactly the same as he remembered, but it also seemed so unfamiliar after so long. Duncan's mother puts an arm around her son, a small smile on her face.

"Come on, let's go into the lounge room and sit down, shall we?" she asks, and Duncan nods, still looking around. He puts his duffel bag down and follows his mother into the lounge room, and Duncan sits down in the chair that used to be his favourite, and was surprised when it felt the same as he remembered.

"Has this chair even been used?" Duncan asks his mother, who shakes her head.

"We thought you would have come home sooner, so we didn't dare to touch it." Duncan smiles at the memory of snapping at anyone who was in the chair when he came into the room. "I think I should get your father. I'm sure he wants to talk to you, and he deserves to see you." His mother then leaves the room to get his father.

After she left the room, Duncan became consumed in his thoughts. _Oh gosh, she's getting him. I really hope he isn't furious about it… I just hope it goes well. Please let him be in a good mood…_ His heart starts beating faster until Duncan's afraid it's going to burst out of his chest. He hadn't been this nervous since Total Drama. He breathes in and out slowly in an attempt to keep his cool.

Just as Duncan thinks he's about to pass out, his mother enters the room, along with his father, who has a neutral look on his face. When he turns to look at Duncan, his eyes narrow slightly. _Oh shit, he's going to hit me, he's going to-_

"Duncan, come and greet your father!" Duncan's mother says, beckoning Duncan over. Duncan gets up and walks over to his parents and faces his father, waiting for him to act first.

"Duncan." his father says simply, offering no other form of greeting. Duncan internally sighs. _Well, this is great…_

"Hi, Pa. How have you been?" Duncan asks, in hopes of lifting his father's mood. His mother offers him an encouraging smile, but Duncan notices it's too wide to be sincere.

"Just fine, but it wasn't fine to hear that you were sent to jail." Duncan flinches at his father's bluntness in getting to the topic he most feared.

"Dear! Be nice to Duncan! He only just got here." his mother scolds. Duncan is glad that she is defending him, and it warms his heart slightly and gives him more confidence to face his father. His father's next words would take away all that confidence;

"He won't be here for very long, so he shouldn't relax." Duncan and his mother both gasped.

"What do you mean, Pa? Aren't you even a little glad to see me?" Duncan protests, scared of what his father is thinking.

"Duncan, you were sent to jail for _blowing up a house._ I simply can't trust you anymore. This is the furthest you've ever gone. I'm sorry, but you have to go." Duncan's father explained. At these words, Duncan felt his heart drop, and his eyes stinging. _No way. I can't cry, not here, not now. Please spare me that._

"B-but, Pa! What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go!" Duncan pleads, trying desperately to hold in the tears that threaten to escape. From the corner of a watery eye, Duncan notices that his mother is also close to tears.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're quite resourceful, after all. Now go, Duncan. You can't stay here anymore." Duncan tries to find something to say, something that will change his father's mind, but then he looks into his father's eyes, and seeing the moment of sadness through the hard demeanor, Duncan finds that he can't. He would only be increasing his father's suffering. He sees that his mother has already broken down in tears, struggling to hold in her sobs. His father puts an arm around his wife.

Sighing in defeat, Duncan walks to the front door, picking up his duffel bag. He turns to his family once more, who had followed him.

"Please, Duncan. Don't make this any harder." his father says, a stray tear falling from his left eye. Nodding, Duncan opens the front door and leaves the house he was raised in. As he reaches the nature strip, he hears the door close, and he turns around to face the house. The house feels uninviting now, and this feeling is what prompts Duncan to finally break down. He sits down on the first step of the house's stairs, his head in his hands. The tears escape his eyes quickly, accented by sobs that he fails to choke down. _What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go, nothing to do…_

* * *

After an hour of crying, Duncan finally starts to pull himself together. Fortunately, the prison provided him with a mobile and $200 when he left, so Duncan wasn't completely broke. He walks to the nearest bus station and waits for the bus to arrive.

Also at the bus stop are a young couple, around 16 years old, and they are engaged in a passionate make out session. Instead of feeling disgusted, Duncan feels a strong wave of nostalgia, as they remind him of when he was with Courtney and then Gwen on Total Drama. A tear drops from his eye, and he quickly wipes it away before anyone notices.

When the bus arrives, Duncan hops on and finds a seat as close to the back as he can so people won't stare at him. He finds himself lucky that no-one has recognised him and asked questions. He feels that it must be because of his disheveled appearance. Wishing that he had music, Duncan instead closes his eyes and slowly drifts to sleep.

* * *

_Duncan finds himself back at Wawanakwa, which he finds odd because the island had sunk at the end of Total Drama All Stars. He is at the Dock of Shame, so he walks up to the mess hall, hoping to find someone there._

_When he enters the building, he finds that everyone is there, even the non-competitors of All Stars. They all turn to stare at him as he enters, and he notices that there isn't a kind eye directed his way. He feels two particularly harsh glares, and turns to see Courtney and Gwen sitting together, glaring at him. If looks could kill, Duncan would be ashes from those two alone._

_He walks further into the room and notices that there is an empty spot at the corner of a table, right next to Beth. Thinking that she wouldn't be intimidating, Duncan makes his way over and sits down. The next thing he feels is Beth shoving him off the seat onto the floor. Everyone laughs at his fall. Flushing red in embarrassment, Duncan regains his footing and faces Beth, who looks smug._

"_What the hell was that for? That's the only free seat!" Duncan asks, only for Lindsay to come over and take the seat._

"_She was saving the seat for me, Doug. Duh!" Lindsay says, managing to send Duncan a glare that sends chills down his spine. Clearing his throat, Chris draws everyone one's attention to him._

"_Good morning, campers! Now that Duncan has decided to be here, I can finally make my announcement. Due to reasons, we have decided that we are cutting one of you from the show!" Whispers pass through the campers, but no-one includes Duncan in their discussions. "Shush! Now then, we have come to a decision about who we are cutting, and we have chosen that person to be… Duncan!" Everyone smirks gleefully at Duncan, which makes him uneasy._

"_What? You're cutting me from the show? But Total Drama is finished for us!" Duncan exclaims, causing many to be confused._

"_Anyway… Duncan, your time is up. Everyone?" There is a clatter of metal and suddenly, everyone is armed with a machete. Duncan slowly backs away to the door._

"_What the… What are you all doing?" Duncan asks, freaking out as everyone advances on him._

"_We're cutting you from the show, of course. Literally." Izzy cackles._

"_No-one likes you Duncan, so why would you need to go home? You're unneeded in this world." DJ tells him._

"_W-What? B-But I have heaps of f-fans!" Duncan stutters, terrified as everyone draws closer, wicked smirks on their faces._

"_According to my blogs, you have no fans, actually. After All Stars, everyone hates you for blowing up Chris' cottage and messing with Courtney and Gwen." Sierra informs him._

"_GET HIM!" Eva shouts, and with that, everyone pounces. Duncan manages to open the door and get out, but someone manages to cut into his right arm, and he yelps as blood leaks from the wound. Duncan runs away from the others, but they are hot on his trail, though some fall behind due to poor stamina or speed._

_Eventually, Duncan has to stop as he comes to the edge of the cliff, and he is cornered by everyone. He takes a step back, and part of the cliff collapses under his foot, so he has to step forward again. Everyone grins, as they know Duncan has no escape. The crowd parts, and Courtney and Gwen come to the front of the group, especially sadistic smirks on their faces._

"_I have waited so long for this. This will make up for everything you have put both of us through." Courtney grins, holding her machete up. Duncan gulps._

"_Why are you guys doing this? Why do you h-hate me so much?" Duncan pleads, his vision getting blurry._

"_You are a jerk, and everyone realises this now. Your actions are unforgivable, and the world needs justice. Goodbye, Duncan." Gwen says before she and Courtney thrust their machetes into Duncan's chest, the impact causing him to fall off the cliff. Duncan's eyes close as he hits the water._

* * *

Duncan jolts awake with a start, a startled cry escaping him. Everyone on the bus turns to him, causing him to turn red in embarrassment. A few faces light up in recognition.

"Hey, isn't that Duncan? From Total Drama?" Someone calls out.

"Yeah, that's his mohawk! It has to be him!" Another says. Suddenly, everyone on the bus is swarming him, asking for autographs or trying to touch him. Duncan tries to get out, but there are too many people in his way.

In a last ditch attempt, Duncan presses the button to make the bus stop. When the bus stops, he crawls over the seats and run down the aisle to the front of the bus and out the doors. Sensing Duncan's urgency, the driver closes the door before anyone can get out after him and drives off. Duncan gives the driver a thumbs up before walking away from the retreating bus.

Being a completely random stop, Duncan looks around him to see where he is. He figures out that he is a few blocks away from the nearest mall. _Maybe I could find a job, or somewhere to stay._ With these thoughts, Duncan heads to the mall.

* * *

"What? Why? This is my only hope! Please let me rent a place!" Duncan pleads, and the woman at the desk shakes her head.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you just don't have enough money. And you look like you'd cause damage to our rooms." she says, looking at his mohawk and scruffy clothes.

"Just for one night? I have nowhere to stay!" Duncan pleads, tears entering his eyes. She shakes her head once more.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you have to leave. I'll call security if I have to." The woman threatens, and with a sigh, Duncan turns around and leaves the store. That was the last place Duncan could go for a place to stay, and no other stores had even given him an opportunity for a job, put off by his appearance.

Duncan rushes to the nearest bathroom, wanting to see what he looks like. It had been months since he had seen himself. He enters the bathroom and finds the mirror. He gasps at the man staring back at him.

The man has huge bags under his eyes, light stubble growing on his face and a scruffy green mohawk with messy black hair growing around it. He is wearing his black skull shirt with yellow sleeves, just like he did on Total Drama, only it has multiple stains on it. His face is red and blotchy, and his teal eyes have no light in them, evidence of a man defeated. Tears enter his eyes as he stares at himself longer, and he quickly runs out of the bathroom to hide from himself.

* * *

Duncan walks along the street, staring at his feet. He just places one red-shoed foot in front of the other, not really caring where he ends up.

He hears a child yelling and he looks up. The child is pointing at him, his young face lit up in excitement.

"Mama! It's Duncan! It is!" he tells his mother, dragging her towards him. She looks at Duncan, and her face shows recognition. Seeing his exhaustion, however, she walks around him, her child looking back at him.

"Come on, he doesn't have time. Maybe you can see him again one day." Duncan breathes a sigh of relief. He didn't want to talk to anyone in this state.

Looking at his surroundings, he realises that he is near the bridge leading out of town, where he often went with his old buddies. He decides to go there.

Arriving at the bridge, he looks out into the horizon. The sun is slowly going down, indicating the end of the day. He still has nowhere to go. Watching the sun go down, Duncan has an thought enter his head. _The end of a day, the end of a life… What does it really matter? There's always another day, another person…_

Duncan climbs onto the railing and stands up straight, putting his arms out, letting the wind blow around him. All he needs to do is lean forward a little, and it would all be over for him. He would be free. He would no longer be lost in a cruel world that doesn't seem to need him. Just as he starts to lean forward, to let himself go…

"Duncan, stop! Don't do it!" A familiar voice calls out.

* * *

**Hey there! Thanks for reading! I hope you found it to your liking.**

**What did you think? Was I too harsh to Duncan (likely)? Most importantly, who owns the voice? Review and follow, and you'll find out next chapter.**

**Or if you want, in your review, leave your guess on who you think it could be. Guess only one, because if you post a list, I'll only choose the first one. There may be a reward for the first person to get it correct. ;)**

**Anyway, hope to see you soon with a new update! See ya then! :)**

**-Green**


	2. Chapter 2

**So... I was more than a little surprised at the reception to the first chapter. 18 reviews, 11 favourites and 15 follows! Thank you so much!**

**I am so sorry for how long this took. I've just started uni, so I'm still settling in, and I'm just good at procrastinating. I hope the next update will be quicker. Anyway, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama or any of its characters.**

* * *

Hearing the voice makes him lean back, and he puts a hand over his rapidly beating heart. He feels a hand on his ankle, and he turns around and looks down to see…

"Zoey?" Duncan whispers, and she nods, a reassuring smile on her face.

"Please, Duncan, come down from there. We can talk then." Zoey asks, a soothing yet urgent tone to her voice. It calms Duncan, and he climbs back over the rail and onto the ground. They look at each other, watery teal eyes locking with warm brown, neither saying a word. Suddenly, Duncan leaps forward and wraps his arms around Zoey's frame, quietly sobbing as she freezes, then wraps her arms around him in return, patting his back.

"Calm down, Duncan. It's going to be okay. I'm here now." Zoey reassures him, his tears wetting her shirt.

"Z-Zoey, I-" Duncan starts, but Zoey interrupts him.

"Don't talk for now, Duncan. Just let it all out. I won't abandon you." Duncan's sobs get louder, and Zoey rubs his back, hoping to soothe his emotions.

A few minutes later, Duncan has calmed down considerably, and he releases Zoey and takes a step back. This allows him to have a good look at her. She is wearing her outfit from Total Drama, but she also has a red hoodie to ward off the cold of the night. Zoey is also looking at him, a worried expression on her face.

"Duncan, you look terrible! Come with me, and we can talk where it's warmer." Zoey says, beckoning Duncan to follow her as she walks away. Duncan follows her to a white car, and she gets in the front seat. Duncan gets into the passenger's seat, and he sees that she is turning on the heater.

"Is it really that cold?" Duncan asks. Zoey stops fiddling with the heater and turns to him.

"Yeah, it's around 5 degrees at the moment. Fortunately it's mid-autumn, or it would be freezing! Can't you tell?" Zoey asks, tilting her head slightly.

"No, I can't really feel anything. I just feel numb." Duncan states, and the worried expression returns to Zoey's face.

"You must have had a really rough day today. Tell me all about it." Zoey says encouragingly, a smile on her face, hoping to have Duncan open up to her like he did on All Stars.

With a deep breath, Duncan recounts his day, from his release from prison to the bridge. By the end of it, Zoey has her hands to her mouth and her eyes are slightly damp.

"Wow, Duncan, that sounds awful. You don't have a place to stay?" Zoey asks, blinking rapidly. Duncan slowly shakes his head. "If you want, you can stay with me. I'm sure my mum won't mind."

"Are you sure your mum won't mind? Surely she wouldn't want someone like me in her house…" Duncan replies, hope in his eyes. Spending at least the night with someone he feels he can trust sounds very inviting in his current situation.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Even though she thought what you did to Chris' mansion was reckless, she thought that our temporary friendship was good for both of us, so I'm sure she won't mind." Zoey assures, smiling. Duncan smiles back, feeling relieved that he likely has a place to stay.

"Thanks a lot, Zoey." Zoey nods at his gratitude, and then a grumbling sound is heard by both of them. Duncan holds his stomach, where the noise came from. He blushes lightly in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I haven't eaten since this morning… I forgot all about eating while searching for somewhere to sleep." Duncan apologises. Zoey shakes her head.

"You don't need to apologise. How about we go somewhere to eat before going home? I'll just tell Mum that she doesn't need to make dinner for us." Zoey offers, starting up her car.

"Sure, that sounds great. I don't mind where we go." Duncan says, leaning back in the seat as Zoey starts driving to get some food.

* * *

They arrive at the nearest fast food place and order some burgers and fries.

"I'm going to tell my mum that you're coming, and that she doesn't have to cook for us, so can you get the food and find a table, please?" Zoey asks. Duncan nods and Zoey goes outside to make the call. When their food is ready, Zoey comes back inside and they walk to a free table to eat.

"Mum says that it's okay if you stay over. She says she'll make something if we get hungry when we get there." Zoey tells Duncan, eating some fries after speaking.

"Thanks, Zoey. This means a lot." Duncan replies gratefully, and Zoey smiles. They eat in silence for a few minutes before Duncan breaks the silence.

"Are you sure Mike would be okay with it? I don't want him to think anything…" Zoey frowns at this.

"Oh… Mike and I broke up." Zoey admits, looking down at the table.

"What? I thought you two were happy together?" Duncan asks, confused. Zoey manages a small smile, but Duncan can tell that it's fake.

"Well, we were, but then things got complicated… I'm sure you don't want to hear it, you have so much going on for you, I'd just sound like I'm complaining." Zoey explains, looking outside.

"No, I don't mind. You can tell me. It sounds serious." Duncan says encouragingly. Zoey looks at Duncan and, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, sighs.

"Okay, I'll tell you why it happened. It was because of Mal." Duncan's eyes widen.

"Mal? I thought Mike got rid of him during the finale?" he asks. Zoey nods.

"He did. But apparently, he was only locked away. A month after the finale, I noticed that Mike was stirring in his sleep, like he did when he had his personalities. The next morning, I told Mike about it, and he was surprised, too." Zoey pauses because her voice starts cracking. She clears her throat before continuing.

"A week later, Svetlana and Manitoba came back. Mike was ecstatic. The next day it was Vito, and three days later Chester as well. Mike was so happy they were back, but we both had fears about Mal. None of the others knew if he would come back, either. The next day, we received our answer when I woke up to Mal standing over me. He started punching me and cursing about losing Total Drama because of me and Mike. I screamed and fought back, but he was really strong." At this point, Zoey starts tearing up, and Duncan takes her hands in his in an attempt to comfort her.

"Thanks, Duncan. Anyway, I managed to get out of the house and he didn't follow me. When I came back a few hours later, I found Mike crying. I tried to comfort him, but he pushed me away, saying he was too dangerous, especially when he saw my bruises. That's when he said we should break up, to protect me from Mal. So we packed my stuff and I moved back in with Mum. We haven't spoken since." Zoey sheds a few tears, and Duncan squeezes her hands.

"That sounds really tough. I'm sorry." Duncan says soothingly. Zoey shakes her head.

"It's okay. It's just really hard because he was the first guy I ever dated, you know? We had a deep connection." Duncan nods.

"Yeah, like me and Courtney. Even now, I think about her sometimes. Gwen, too. They never leave you." They finish their food in silence once more. They leave the restaurant and continue driving to Zoey's house.

* * *

A few minutes later they arrive at Zoey's house. Zoey parks in the driveway and they get out of the car.

"Well, we're here. It's pretty small, so I hope that's okay." Zoey says as they walk to the door. Zoey opens it and they enter into the hall. They hear footsteps from nearby.

"Zoey? Is that you?" A voice calls, and a woman appears where they are.

"Hi, Mum!" Zoey says, hugging her mother. When Zoey lets her go, she turns towards Duncan, who is standing awkwardly, looking around.

"You must be Duncan. I could recognise that mohawk anywhere." Zoey's mum says, enveloping Duncan in a hug. Surprised, Duncan freezes up until she lets go. He glances at Zoey, who is also surprised.

"Mum! What are you doing? You can't just hug him!" Zoey exclaims in shock. Zoey's mum turns back to her.

"Oh, Zoey, why not? Now I can say that I've hugged a celebrity." she laughs, and Duncan and Zoey exchange another look. "Now, are you two hungry?"

"No, we're fine. I'm going to go to my room. Come on, Duncan." Zoey says, walking up the nearby stairs, Duncan following after looking back at Zoey's mum again, who waves at him. Zoey leads him to her room, and she goes over to a cage on the desk.

"Hi, Miss Puffycheeks!" Zoey says to her hamster as Duncan looks around the room. It's a small room, though it has two windows with patched curtains. Zoey has some arts and crafts hanging up on the walls as well. On her desk are her pet hamster and a sewing machine with some materials. Her bed has a purple blanket that looks like it's been sewed as well.

"Did you sew the curtains and blanket in your room?" Duncan asks as Zoey makes sure Miss Puffycheeks has enough food and water. After she's done, Zoey turns to Duncan and nods.

"Yeah, I did. Does it look tacky? I thought it would be cool…" Zoey confirms, looking unsure.

"No, no, they look fine. Where did you learn to sew like that?" Duncan asks, and Zoey smiles at the knowledge that Duncan approves.

"I did textiles at school, and my mum got me lessons as well." Zoey explains. "So, sorry about my mum back there. She's pretty full-on."

"Yeah, I noticed. So where am I sleeping?" Duncan asks.

"We have a guest bedroom that you can sleep in. I'll show you to it now if you want?"

"No, it's fine. I'll check it out later." Zoey nods.

"Okay then. So, what are you planning to do now?" Zoey asks. Duncan runs a hand through his hair.

"I'm not really sure yet. Probably find somewhere to stay and get a job and work from there." Duncan admits.

"That sounds good. How about I help you find a job tomorrow, if you want?" Zoey suggests.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Zoey." Duncan accepts, and Zoey smiles.

"You're welcome. Do you want me to show you to your room now? I'm sure you're exhausted." Duncan nods, and they leave Zoey's room. Zoey leads him down a passage to a room to the right. "Here it is. If you need anything, just come to my room and knock. The bathroom's downstairs if you need it. I'll leave you to it now." Zoey starts to leave, but Duncan grabs her arm. She turned back to him.

"Thanks a lot, Zoey. For everything." Duncan says sincerely, and Zoey smiles at him, which he returns. Zoey then leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Duncan puts his duffel bag down, kicks off his shoes and lies down on the bed.

_Okay, so tomorrow I need to find somewhere to stay and attempt to find a job. That sounds like a good start. Tomorrow… _The exhaustion kicks in and Duncan falls asleep instantly.

* * *

**So it was Zoey that found Duncan. I hope this doesn't put some of you off. I noticed a lot of you said Courtney or Gwen.**

**What do you think of this chapter? Do you think Zoey's kind for letting Duncan stay with her? And what's Duncan going to do next? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Until next time, don't forget to review! :)**

**-Green**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I actually updated this rather quickly, which is awesome! I hope I can write the next one as quickly. Anyway, onto the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama.**

* * *

Duncan heard someone enter the kitchen in the morning. From the lightness of the footsteps, he assumed it was Zoey.

"Hi, Duncan. What's that smell? It smells great." Zoey's voice confirmed her identity. Duncan turned around to face her. She was wearing a pink tank top and purple shorts. Duncan couldn't help but look over her figure before answering, making Zoey feel slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm making pancakes, did you want any?" Duncan replied, turning back to the stove to flip a pancake.

"Yeah, that would be great. Pancakes are my favourite breakfast meal!" Zoey smiled, sitting down at the table. Duncan puts two pancakes on a plate and hands it to Zoey. She gets the maple syrup and pours some on before she takes a bite. "Wow, these are really good! Where did you learn to cook these like that?" Duncan comes to the table with his own pancakes.

"Oh, I learnt to myself. Mum and Dad had to be at the station early, so I had to cook my own breakfast during high school." Duncan explained, taking a bite of his pancakes. They eat in silence for a bit, just enjoying the flavours. Zoey broke the silence first.

"So, what was being in that balloon in the finals like?" Zoey asked, causing Duncan to shudder.

"It was terrible. It stunk so badly, and I felt like I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. I wish you'd shot me down." Duncan explained, grimacing at the memory. Zoey laughed lightly.

"If you'd seen what Chris wanted us to do, I think you'd take back that statement." Zoey said. Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"Really? What happened?" Duncan asked, intrigued.

"There were three moats, toxic waste, lava and swamp water with Fang in it." Zoey described. "If I'd shot you down, you would have had Mal against you. He was terrible to Gwen and Cam. If he'd shot you down, you would have been treated just as badly. Mal almost threw Heather into the toxic waste! Heather!"

"That sounds really harsh. I think I'm fine with how it played out…" Duncan decided.

"Speaking of the finals, where did you end up when the balloons blew away?" Zoey asked.

"Somehow, I ended up in a lake near the prison I was to be kept in, so they easily apprehended me." Duncan explained, sighing. "After the balloon thing, I was hoping it would be dropped, but I guess not." They fell back into silence, finishing off their pancakes.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Zoey asked. Duncan thought for a second.

"I want to get a job, first of all, then find somewhere to live. I can't just stay with you, that would be unfair." Duncan answered. Zoey nodded.

"You can stay here as long as you need. Mum said so, too. But let's focus on finding you a job today. Renting an apartment isn't cheap, so you should get some income first." Zoey said, standing up. "I'm going to change, so I'll be back quickly." Duncan watched as Zoey walked out of the room. _I hope that I can get a job today, that would be great. And if I'm staying with Zoey for a while, I should at least help out a bit…_

* * *

"I'm sorry, but we can't accept you, not with your history. Sorry." Yet another employer said, walking back behind the counter. Sighing dejectedly, Duncan walked back to Zoey, who had a hopeful look on her face. Duncan shook his head, and Zoey's smile dropped off her face, and she sighed.

"Again? That's almost every store in this mall. I'm sorry, Duncan." Zoey consoled, though she was rather disappointed as well. Duncan shakes his head.

"It's not your fault. I just can't believe that no-one will give me a chance simply because I blew up McLean's stupid mansion!" Duncan said, sitting down at a table, and Zoey sat down across from him.

"Well, what do you want to do now? It's five p.m. now, so not too late. We could go somewhere else?" Zoey suggested, checking her watch. Duncan nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe we could grab a bite to eat first? I'm getting hungry." Duncan suggested.

"Okay, let's do that. Anywhere you want to eat?" Zoey asked, and the two got up and went to the nearby food court. Duncan started walking towards McDonald's. "Oh, you want something from there? Okay then, I'm going to go get something from Subway. I'll find you later." Zoey walked to another part of the food court. Duncan went up to the counter and ordered. As he was paying, he noticed something familiar. Stepping aside to wait for his order, Duncan looked around and saw a brunette facing side on from him. On closer inspection, he saw it was…

"Courtney?" Duncan asked, walking up to the brunette. Said brunette turned to him, and Duncan was met with the familiar freckled face and tan skin. It was indeed Courtney.

"Duncan? Is that you?" Courtney asked, her voice bringing back many memories, though recent ones were slightly painful. She was wearing her familiar outfit, a white shirt with grey pullover with form-hugging olive green pants ending mid-thigh.

"Yeah, it's me. How have you been?" Duncan asked, but was interrupted by his order being called out. He grabbed it and came back over to Courtney.

"I've been quite well, thank you. I graduated from high school and am hoping to get into college to study law when semester starts." Courtney answered, picking up her food when it comes. She walks back to Duncan.

"That sounds really good, Court. Do you want to sit down? Or do you have things to do?" Duncan suggested. Duncan hoped she would say yes because he was relieved to find a familiar face, and he was glad that Courtney didn't immediately go on the offensive towards him.

"Yeah, sure." Courtney answered, and the two sat down at a table for four, Duncan sitting across from Courtney. "So what are you here for?"

"Uh, I was actually here to get a job, but no-one's willing to hire me…" Duncan admitted, rubbing the back of his head. At that moment, Zoey came over when she spotted Duncan, but hesitated when she saw him talking to someone. When she reached the table, she stood next to the chair next to Duncan and looked at Courtney. Recognition registered in her eyes.

"Oh, hi, Courtney!" Zoey said, sitting down next to Duncan, diagonally across from Courtney. She got her food out and took a bite of her sub. At Zoey's actions, Duncan and Courtney also got out their food.

"Oh, you're here with Duncan? I didn't expect you two to stay in contact." Courtney asked, surprised by the two.

"Actually, we only recently got in contact." Zoey explained. The three ate in silence for a little while before Courtney suddenly looked up, causing the other two to start, looking at her.

"I just remembered! Duncan said he was looking for a job, but hasn't had success so far. My work is offering jobs at the moment, so maybe I could see if we could hire you?" Courtney suggested.

"That sounds great! I'll take anything at the moment." Duncan answered, feeling hopeful about getting a job now.

"Okay then, after we eat, we can go over and see if I can get you an interview?" Courtney said, and Duncan and Zoey nodded. The three finished up, then Courtney led them over to KFC. Courtney walked up to the counter and talked briefly with someone, who went back quickly. Duncan saw a glimpse of anxiety on the employee's face, which made him raise an eyebrow.

"Did you see that employee?" Duncan whispered to Zoey as another person came to the counter to talk to Courtney, who Duncan assumed was the manager.

"Yeah, they looked a little afraid of Courtney. I wonder why?" Zoey pondered as Courtney and the manager talked. After a while, Courtney came over to Duncan and Zoey.

"You got the job. All you have to do is discuss hours, and you're set." Courtney informed Duncan, smiling.

"I got the job? I don't need an interview or anything?" Duncan asked, confused.

"No, all you need to do is discuss hours with the manager." Courtney repeated. Duncan walked over to the counter, but shot Zoey a confused look, which Zoey replied to by putting her hands out to either side, indicating she has as little clue as he does.

"Hi there, you must be Duncan. My name's Mariah, and I'm the manager here. Let's go behind the counter, and we can discuss your hours." she said, leading Duncan behind the counter.

* * *

After Duncan discussed hours and other requirements with Mariah, he, Zoey and Courtney sat down nearby.

"Thank you so much, Court! This is great!" Duncan said, very grateful.

"No problem, I'm always willing to help." Courtney smiled.

"Thanks so much, Courtney. I think Duncan and I should go now. Maybe we could catch up some time?" Zoey said, standing up.

"Yeah, that sounds good. How about I get your number now, Zoey, and Duncan and I could catch up now, maybe over coffee?" Courtney suggested. Zoey seemed uncomfortable, but Duncan didn't notice.

"Yeah, that sounds great, Court. I guess I'll see ya later, Zoey?" Duncan agreed. Zoey hesitated, but nodded. She and Courtney exchanged phones to register numbers.

"Okay, whatever you think is best, Duncan. See you later, Duncan, Courtney!" Zoey said, waving as she walked away. Duncan turned to face Courtney.

"So, you want to go to Starbucks?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, let's go. I feel like we have a lot to catch up on." Courtney replied, smiling. The two headed off to Courtney's car.

* * *

**So Courtney's been added to the mix, and she and Duncan will now be working together. Do you think it will go well, or do you think something bad might happen? Courtney was pretty docile, after all. She can't have dropped it already, or has she? All will be revealed soon enough. First we have to see how this catch up will go.**

**What did you think of Courtney getting Duncan the job? And about Zoey seeming hesitant around Courtney? Review and tell me what you're thinking. Feedback is very much appreciated. :)**

**Until next time!**

**-Green**


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